Cage of Gold
by Roses of Sharon
Summary: The Six Swans. Her lover is a King. He hates her. But no one needs to know that. Just… when she turns up dead in her room, remember fairy tales don’t always have a happy ending. Especially this one.


Summary: The Six Swans

Summary: The Six Swans. Her lover is a King. He hates her. But no one needs to know that. Just… when she turns up dead in her room, remember fairy tales don't always have a happy ending. Especially this one.

**Dreaming in Reverse**

_Waiting for Rescue_

A Cage of Gold

It is like… dreaming in reverse.

When you dream, you remember every moment, see it in fuzzy-blurry detail. You think you will remember everything.

And then you wake, and the dream fades from your mind like water dripping through your fingers.

That is as close as you can get to what I felt.

Only imagine… during your dream, everything is a blur. You think of nothing but survival. Waku up when you do. Feed when you're hungry, until you are not. Sleep when you're tired.

Then you wake, and you… it comes back to you in a rush, a burst of light and knowledge. You remember the love, the warmth, the pain, the cold.

You remember.

You see.

_I _saw.

The girl-woman staring up at me. My sister. The wet trails down her cheek. Tears. I lift a wing, a wing that once carried me in flight and which I now cannot use to wipe the tears.

Confounded, I stare at it. I stare at her.

She flies at me, wrapping strong, wiry arms around me. A hug.

How does one respond to a hug? Helplessly, I glance around.

My brothers – all six of them. All as uncomfortable as I.

A man, red-haired and large. No one I know.

Hesitantly, I reach out to put my arm around her.

Arm, singular. The wing fell, graceful and useless, at my side.

She was talking into my chest. Hmm?

Oh, yes, the wing.

I thought you must have heard this story before?

The one with the girls whose brothers were turned into swans?

Oh, so now you remember.

I suppose, then, that you also forgot about the brother who got only half a shirt?

The shock on your face tells me you hadn't thought of that. Most people don't.

What, did you think I was born like this? That I was the son of a swan?

…

Never mind, don't answer that.

Children these days.

Oh, the story, right. Where was I?

Mm. Red.

The man, I mean.

Well, it turns out my innocent little sister wasn't so innocent after all.

He was her lover.

Don't wrinkle your nose at me, young man – reproduction is a part of life! You should know this by now!

Anyways, to continue: he was her lover.

Also a King, but that's not important.

…Not _very _important, anyways.

After all, I was a Lord in my own right.

And I had people to kill, vengeance to seek, you know the drill.

We'll skip over that. Not exactly child appropriate, you see. Your parents would try to kill me.

Lets just say: Veni, Vini, Vici.

I came, I saw, I conquered.

They never mention it now. They think it'll depress me.

Hmph.

So anyways, the witch was dead, my eldest brother Lord, and our adventures over, to my personal great relief.

At least, it should have been over.

Anyways, Rosaline – my sister – married the King and happily ever after for them, right?

My poor Rose, locked away in that cold castle.

That's what it was, you know – she was trapped, a victim of a King's lust and poor judgment. And a King can always have what he wants, if he goes at it right.

What, you don't think that's true? You don't believe me?

Oh, it's true.

I'll be imprisoned? Executed?

Hah – I am the Queen's own brother. The people love their Queen. I say what I wish; I simply choose who I say it to.

Have you ever seen the Queen? Beautiful, isn't she. Too young to be my sister?

Yeah, well, stress does that to you. Makes you look old. Makes you act old. Makes you _feel _old.

But you are correct in saying that I am far older than she is. She is far, far younger than I – I am old enough, almost, to have been her father.

But no matter.

Why am I still around, if I hate the sight of her locked in her gold-and-diamond cage so much?

I am waiting.

Sooner or later, the King will tire of his toy.

Sooner or later, the King will tire of this story.

Sooner of later, the King will discard her.

And while I cannot rescue her now, when all of the King's men would be on our tails in moments; I most assuredly have the ability to sneak in there one night, fake her death, and steal her away.

The King might even thank me.

What, you don't believe me?

Well, you don't need to.

In fact, it's almost better if you don't believe me.

It's better if no one believes me.

Why did I tell you?

No one can bear a secret on their own. Everyone has to share their burdens, no matter how selfish that may sound.

Go away, now.

Go play with your friends, go train to serve your glorious King.

But the next time you look upon the face of the Queen, remember my words, and look at her closely. See if she is truly happy.

And remember me.

Remember my words.

Remember that I wait here for the day when she dies.

So when she does, don't be too shocked.

And don't be too sad, either.

She won't really be dead.

She'll be with us.

**Author's Notes**: Elements inspired by the anthology _Silver Birch, Blood Moon_, especially "Toad."


End file.
